Fun Facts About the Name Abgail
- 29 babies named Abgail: U.S. records list 29 babies given the name Abgail from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Abgail Mean?
Abgail is a spelling variant of Abigail, a name that comes from the Hebrew אֲבִיגַיִל (Avigayil). The Hebrew name is built from two elements: אָב (av), meaning "father," and גִּיל (gil), meaning "joy" or "rejoicing." Taken together, the name is commonly translated as "my father is joy" or "father's joy." The literal wording centers on the father's rejoicing; the shorter English phrasing "father's joy" is a customary smoothing of that sense rather than a different etymology. The spelling Abgail simply rearranges the letters g and i from the standard English form, so the meaning is the same as Abigail's. A number of other spellings exist in English, including Abigael, Abigayle, and Abagail.
Abgail Name History & Origins
The Hebrew name Avigayil appears in the Hebrew Bible. In the first book of Samuel, Abigail is the intelligent and quick-acting wife of a wealthy man named Nabal; after Nabal's death she becomes one of King David's wives. A second, separate Abigail is named in 2 Samuel as the mother of Amasa. Because of these biblical figures, the name passed into Christian usage through Latin and Greek transcriptions of the Hebrew, appearing in English as Abigail.
In English, Abigail was long a familiar name and was also used as a generic term for a lady's maid, a usage that grew out of a character type on the 17th-century stage. The name became especially common among Puritan families in the 1600s, which helped carry it into wider English-speaking use. Over the centuries, spellings multiplied as the name was written down phonetically and adapted in different regions, giving forms such as Abigael and Abagail. Abgail belongs to this group of reordered spellings; it is an uncommon arrangement rather than a distinct name with its own separate origin.
How Popular is the Name Abgail?
Abgail has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2013. Its best rank was #12,078 in 1997.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #13,162 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #13,856 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #15,451 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #12,078 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #13,396 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with A
How the Name Abgail Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Abgail's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Abgail's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.